BALI CLASS!
Being healed by a shaman and dangling from a silk hammock, Daniella Moyles laps up life in the ‘Land of the Gods’
Indonesia is made up of approximately 17,500 individual islands. In this entire vast and beautiful archipelago it is the tiny island of Bali that is the most popular and well known. Famed for its white sand beaches and world-class surfing conditions in the south, and its looming volcanoes and lush terraced rice fields in the north, it’s no wonder Bali is referred to locally as the ‘Land of the Gods’.
From the moment I set foot on the soil here three years ago, I was smitten, destined to return over and over. I’m very lucky to have explored most of the island’s 153km in width and 112km in length, taking in its abundance of natural beauty. Once you master riding a scooter in Bali, you’re essentially a local and the island becomes your playground.
I’m going to focus my attentions on two specific locations in Bali for the sake of this article – the jungle village of Ubud and the beachside town of Canggu.
If you’re considering honeymooning in Bali or planning one unforgettable tropical break for this coming year I recommend Ubud, arguably Bali’s cultural hub and filled with hippies, health food cafés and wellness experiences carefully choreographed alongside the locals who go about their daily Hindu ceremonies and work in the rice fields.
If you’re backpacking and looking for a lively, affordable destination in Bali, it’s got to be Canggu. A hipster beachside town mostly made up of surfers, expats and digital nomads with man buns, Canggu offers more trendy restaurants and bars than you could sample in a year.
UBUD HEALING
If you are looking for undisputed five-star luxury sensitively integrated into the local community then Amandari Resort is the one for you. Each guest suite takes the form of a village house and rests in the jungle slopes of the revered Agung Valley, offering views of the iconic rice terraces from your private pool. The grounds of the hotel are not just for guests – you will regularly see villagers wander through to bathe in or collect water from the sacred stream in the heart of the valley below.
At Amandari they offer the experience of a traditional Balinese water purification ceremony followed by a reading with a local shaman. As travel encounters go, this is up there was one of my most treasured and authentic. At 6am you travel with a local guide to a temple usually only visited by locals – tourism is kept to an absolute minimum here. You receive a cleansing ritual and then partake in a water purification ceremony. If I were forced to choose one word to capture the experience I would say ‘powerful’.
After this, your local guide translates the words of the shaman for your personal reading. A very insightful and overwhelming experience that is worth recording, so that you can revisit it again and again.
BATHING IN FLOWERS
If you are looking for complete serenity, the feeling of having paused time and taken a step away from real life, The Chedi Club is where you are going to want to stay. Just outside ‘the artist’s village’ of Ubud you’ll find this impressive 20 villa resort on five hectares of thriving rice fields. This is the former estate of Hendra Hadiprana, one of Indonesia’s most respected art collectors, which has been transformed into a secluded haven of sunrises and lotus ponds.
I had one of the most divine spa experiences of my life at The Chedi Club, so I cannot recommend booking a Balinese massage and bath package highly enough. The Balinese bath (overflowing with fresh flowers and citrus fruits) is set among the rice fields and lit by candlelight at sunset. Sipping on a zingy ginger and lemongrass tea, it’s a complete treat for the senses.
All guests at The Chedi Club can also avail of the opportunity to take a hot air balloon ride over the rice fields at sunrise. Mount Agung – Bali’s highest and holiest mountain – is the true highlight.
FINE DINING
If you’re after a luxurious stay with supremely impressive culinary experiences, you’ll want to check out Viceroy Bali. Each private villa has its own infinity pool overlooking the jungle ravine and guests are treated like royalty from check in to check out. However, the standout feature of this resort is its focus on gastronomy. Viceroy Bali is home to two fine-dining restaurants, Apéritif and CasCades – both remarkable in their own right. Apéritif offers an eight-course tasting menu with an accompanying selection of wines and cocktails. On the night of my booking, I landed the poor chef with my last-minute array of dietary requirements and he produced a personalised menu before I had even made a selection from the vast bread trolley! If food is your forté or pleasure, you will not be disappointed with a stay at Viceroy.
Last but nowhere near least, the impressive luxury resort in Bud is the outrageous Four Seasons at Sayan. This place offers five-star service, breathtaking views, otherworldly spa and culinary experiences as well as impressive local tours. If you are looking for an unforgettable stay, this is it.
SACRED NAP RITUAL
On arrival I was treated to a ‘sacred nap’ ceremony in the resort’s bamboo yoga palapa. Suspended from the ceiling in a pure silk hammock, cocooned like a baby in the tranquility of the Sayan Valley. I have never felt relaxation quite like it. You are rocked back and forth while listening to the sounds of nature, healing sound bath instruments and the story of Buddha (seriously) whispered by your therapist. A deeply soothing and nurturing experience, not to be missed. If you
are a meat eater, I highly recommend booking a Chef’s Table dinner at Sokasi found down by the riverside in the resort. This seven-course, family-style Balinese dinner features spit-roasted pig and whole duck slow-roasted for 12 hours in an underground clay pot oven.
PLANTING RICE
As if that wasn’t enough I also got to experience ‘a day in the life of a Balinese farmer’ – a unique tour offered only at the Four Seasons. It starts with a gentle trek through the Agung Valley, followed by breakfast by the riverside before learning about rice farming and planting your own seeds. It’s messy and hard work, so afterwards it’s only right that you be treated to a two-hour bathing, scrubbing and massaging treatment at the spa.
If you manage to leave your resort at any point to explore the wonderful village of Ubud, I recommend checking out the Ubud Arts Market; Tegalalang Rice Terraces; Campuhan Ridge Walk; Tegenungan Waterfall and the Monkey Forest. If you’re brave enough, I also recommend a sunrise hike up Mount Agung and trying out the Instagram Bali Swing.
Ubud is also a great starting point for day trips much further north to visit the spectacular Sekumpul Waterfall or the Pura Ulun Danu Bratan Temple.
CANGGU SURF
In Canggu you won’t find luxury accommodation as easily as in Ubud. This is a surf town, loved by backpackers, so I recommend a stay at one of its hostels or guesthouses. Nightly prices range from €3-€15 and can generally be negotiated if you’re staying for more than a week. Boutique hotels such as Tugu Bali and Plataran are worth a look if you’re a glamorous backpacking type. Scooter rental is from €2.50 per day making everything extremely accessible.
Decades of tourism haven’t dampened Bali’s deeply rooted spirituality and even in this carefree, creative expat enclave the local charm is prevalent. In Canggu you can learn to surf at Batu Balong Beach; visit the famous Tanah Lot Temple; enjoy a sunset cocktail at La Brisa, La Laguna or The Lawn.
I also recommend a visit to one of the many Sunday markets. Love Anchor Canggu, Samadi Bali and the Gypsy Market at La Laguna are my favourites.
Other activities include yoga classes (some of the best I’ve ever taken) at The Practice; checking out the murals and experiencing ‘the shortcut’ (ask a local).
You could also visit Finn’s Beach Club for a day party or head to Pretty Poison or the speakeasy inside the fridge at Black Cat for drinks.
If you’re in the market for a little TLC, Amo Spa and Spring Spa are great spots for relaxing, while Berawa Art House offers art classes.
There’s also CrossFit Wanderlust if all that sounds too tame.
Canggu is a great starting point for visiting other destinations or booking a boat to nearby islands. I recommend heading to Seminyak for a day of shopping, spending a day discovering the southern beaches (Dreamland, Balangan, Bingin, Uluwatu and Green Bowl are a few of my favourites). You could also book a boat trip to one of the Gili or the Nusa Islands – Nusa Penida is a real gem.
There are enough restaurants and cafés in Canggu to keep you booked and busy for a year or more. My favourites include The Loft and Café Organic.
MY BATH OF FRESH FLOWERS SET AMONG THE RICE FIELDS AND LIT BY CANDLES I FEEL LIKE A BABY, BEING ROCKED BACK AND FORTH